I am trying to find a decent way of attaching bikes to my girlfirneds MX5, I have googled a bit, only really coming up with the Saris Bones.

Has anyone else got a solution or idea?

(I don’t want to have to get the bootlid resprayed…again…)

Squares of helicopter tape with the Saris? There is another- sits ontop of a boot rack.

On solo jaunts I put the bike on the passenger seat (fork steerer removed out of frame) wheels ontop!

Get hold of Cynic- Al, he has one…

If it is the new model MX-5, be aware that the bootlid is aluminium and is more easily dented. Saris bones would leave marks on the bootlid as it did on my mates car

Its a MK2 MX5 btw

Cheers for the replies so far

Think mx5parts.co.uk do one specifically for the 5.

I want a girlfriend who owns a MX5 😥

i had an old mx5, and a 35 quid halfords bike rack that sat on top of the bumper. took wife and my bikes ok, sometimes on 500 mile round trips. clipped under bumper (sometimes one would come off, so i constantly checked….but it wasn’t unsafe if one popped off), and clipped at back of boot lid and sides of boot lid. we were arrested and fined though in wales, for covering up brake lights and indicators etc. oops.

I think the rear beam/chassis allows for a tow bar to be fitted. IF I get another (3rd!) MX5- I’ll be going down that route this time.

I have a boot rack and lay the bike on it, strapped on with 3 elastic cords and using pipe insulation as padding between frame and boot rack. Fairly easy once you get the hang of balancing it while attaching….

I used to use the old paddy hopkirk bike rack with the bottom bumper straps modified to hook onto the towing loops. Towbar electrics in the boot to keep it legal. Next time around I’d fit a removable westfalia towbar.

hora – Member
I want a girlfriend who owns a MX5 {/quote]

Just took my wife’s MX-5 in for a service – she was my girlfriend when we bought it. Does that count?

mx5 forum

sorry – didn’t mean that you shouldn’t be asking here! 🙂

Dr North is a Mx5 (mk2) owner. I don’t own a car, so use this for transporting the bike.

Saris Bones for me. Sure, it does scratch the boot lid, so helicopter tape would be my proposed solution. It’s done plenty of miles around the country (with up to two HT MTBs, though usually just my road bike).

In fact, we’ll be driving down to Provence for me to ride the Étape du Tour in July….

You could get a boot-mounted luggage rack & an associated bike carrier to go on it. I’ve uses this combo on my MR2 for the past few years. Bit more expensive, but then you get a luggage rack out of the deal too.

A bike on a roller skate; there’s a novel idea.

Al has a wee metal rack that he uses on the boot lid.
We got a Nomad and a Zesty on it in winter… with the roof down…. it was bloody cold and we didnt look like a pair of hairdressers. Much. If any. At all. Really.

Just use bungees!

I used a £30 boot mounted carrier from Asda on my MGF (sorry) for years with no problems.

I have the MX5parts luggage rack and bike rack, bought sh. Nice in that the rack takes up to 40 kilos (most racks are 20kg IIRC) and with the bike on I can get a suitcase or similar on also. Or just get a cheaper rack and strap the bike to it (s’what I do for me bolt-thru fork bike).

I’ve never thought about using a std bike rack beyond feeling concerned about the stress the bottom legs would put on the bumper moulding.

I do fancy an elan M100 Se, the boot is much bigger (as is the HP curve)

i had an old mx5, and a 35 quid halfords bike rack that sat on top of the bumper. took wife and my bikes ok, sometimes on 500 mile round trips. clipped under bumper (sometimes one would come off, so i constantly checked….

you put your bike and your wife on a 35 quid Halfords rack? and sometimes one would come off?? well, at least you checked to see that your bike was still there…

Been carrying bikes on the back for 7 years. Current design is slightly different but in principle the same. Since 1998 cars have to be type approved with a tow bar so illegal to fit one to a Mk2 or 2.5, not sure about the mk 3.

Downsides – removing/fitting the boot rack (not bike rack part) is a bit of a pain so leave it on. Carrying the bikes over the boot does mark the boot over time – mud dropping off, small marks just taking them on /off. You can open the boot with a bike on but it does put a lot of weight on the boot lid when open. Locking the front fork to the carrier invalidates some fork warranties (pace and DT Swiss).

And still get 38mpg on a run to Wales with a bike on the back and the hood down 🙂

cheers, I’d go for the luggage rack but she won’t let me

Saris bones it is and thanks for the tape tip!!!

Yup, got a MK1.

If its just me, then I just put the bike inside.

As others have said though – there are mounts for a towbar under the chassis.

You do need type approval to TOW, but no to fit a towbar…
However, I haver simply bought an old towbar mounted rack, and ripped the big clamp off it. Then I welded up a bar that fits to the rear chassis legs (where the tie down hooks would have been) under the bumper, out of sight. My rack then slots into a socket welded to this bar, male/female style. bigbolt and a split pin, job done.

No nasty towball sticking out when not in use, 2 minutes to fit.

Best 5 forum to ask in is MX5Nutz.com. Bunch of real nice guys and girls…

Think I’ll continue to use my Mondeo for carting bikes around in/on and leave my mk1 S-Special for pure fun.